Category Archives: Crisis Communications

Great post in Harvard Business Review from David Gordon and Sean West (“C0uld WikiLeaks Expose Your Corporate Brain?”), where they identify the real risk behind corporate communication leaks – especially pertinent to those of us in public relations and communications. According to Gordon and West, the risk is now less likely to come from the exposure of a single, unprofessional email between executives and more likely to come from online (Wiki) ‘data dumps’ that risk business-wide exposure of company-specific strategies and processes.

This is an especially critical point for corporate clients; it’s a timely cue to extend corporate vigilance to the big picture of protecting volume data. As data mining tools and algorithms gain in sophistication — and competitors have greater economic incentive to profit from information insights, volume and proliferation no longer offer secure cover against IT researchers and data analysts. Profitability, competitive advantage and communication regarding strategies and activities…all are now vulnerable to exposure even in bulk data packages.

In the words of super commedien, Mel Brooks: “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.”

Today was Day 80 of the ongoing oil spill catastrophe and in light of the profound mismanagement surrounding the Gulf, it is ripe…it’s due…it’s high time for some pointed parody on the subject. In other words, it’s pumped past the tragedy and become the open sewer that we have to laugh at in order to maintain perspective.

But I have a strong preference for intelligent parody…not one-liners, or even one-two-punch liners. I prefer well-constructed, tight and textured satire and coincidentally I received an email from the Flight of the Conchords today with the following recommendation:

Here’s a video for the people who still sign into myspace (mainly just bands plugging their bands to other bands). It’s one of our favourite comedians: John Clarke and his Aussie mate.

Enter the veteran satire and comedy team of New Zealander John Clarke and Aussie Bryan Dawe. Starting in 1989, Clark and Dawe introduced weekly mock interviews to Australian television. Clarke would take on the persona of a politician or prominent figure, though never attempting to imitate the voice of the subject as in traditional mimicry, and be interviewed by Dawe. Incidentally one mock interview concerning an off-shore oil spill in 1991, with Clarke portraying Minister for Shipping Bob Collins, is notedfor Clarke’s repeated references to the ship whose “front fell off.” (Wikipedia)

FOC sent out the recommendation today to the team’s latest video, where Clarke and Dawe give a thorough explanation of BP Gulf crisis management. It’s great! It’s hilarious! So, with appreciative thanks to Flight of the Conchords, here’s the link (and video) for you to enjoy: